


I Choose You

by camichats



Category: Avatar (2009)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Getting Together, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:35:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21893746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/camichats/pseuds/camichats
Summary: The night after Jake becomes Omaticaya, he chooses Tsu'tey as a mate and somehow, Tsu'tey chooses him as well. With a little talking and waking up in a different situation, they're able to stop the destruction of Hometree.
Relationships: Jake Sully/Tsu’tey te Rongloa Ateyitan
Comments: 33
Kudos: 521





	I Choose You

**Author's Note:**

> Did I write 10k words for an audience of basically just me? Why yes, yes I did :D
> 
> **  
> _Speech like this is spoken in Na'vi_  
> **

Neytiri led him through the forest. She wouldn't say where they were going, but he was finally part of the clan-- the times of worrying about her killing him were over. "This is _utraya mokri._ It is the Tree of Voices." 

"And what does that mean?" Jake asked, looking around. Neytiri must be rubbing off on him because it was like he could feel the spirituality there. The hanging vines glowed white, and they lit even brighter when he touched them, arching towards his touch like they had a will of their own. Hell, maybe they did. For all of Neytiri's explanations about the flow of energy through the forest, he knew he didn't understand it the way all the Na'vi did; all he had were guesses. 

She smiled as she linked with a bundle of the tendrils. "It is a place for prayers to be given. Or answers received," she said, glancing back at him. She was hinting at something, but he didn't know what. "You are Omaticaya now. You may make your own bow from the wood of Hometree instead of using the one I made for you, and you may choose a woman." 

The bow part excited him, the woman part... yeah, not so much. He liked women, but he liked men too, and of the Omaticaya, there was only one person that had caught his eye, and he wasn't exactly a woman. "I guess." He wasn't available to anyone really, least of all Jake. 

"We have many fine women," Neytiri said, like a chiding reminder even though she had a knowing smile on her face. "Ninat is a beautiful singer." 

"She is." Not that Jake knew much about singing or Ninat herself. She was nice enough, though. 

"There is Beyral, she is a great hunter." 

"Yeah, Beyral's great." She'd totally kicked his ass the last time they were playing dice, and it was all the more impressive since Jake was the one that taught her the game. 

Her smile widened. "You will have time to choose your mate, Jake. But only if you think they are also willing to wait for you." 

Jake snorted. "They wouldn't choose me if I asked as soon as I see them." 

Neytiri gave him a considering look, then put her hand on his shoulder as she passed him by to leave the Tree of Voices. "Eywa chose you for a purpose, Jake. Talk to the ancestors. Ask Eywa for guidance, she would not abandon you." 

Jake looked around at the glowing tendrils. Eywa probably wouldn't tell him how to convince Tsu'tey that he wasn't all bad, but it couldn't hurt. He nodded, and Neytiri left him alone to contemplate his future. He glanced behind him to make sure she was far enough away, then looked around. Atokirina spotted the high branches of the tree, bouncing and floating through the air. That was a sign from Eywa, right? If they vanished when he was talking to her about this, then that was a pretty damn good sign that he should let it go and find someone other than Tsu'tey. 

He knelt down, the soft ground under him lighting at the touch of his skin. He was used to it by now, but it hadn't lost its enchantment for him. He grabbed his braid and linked with a gathering of the tendrils. "I don't know... how to do this. Maybe you can help, maybe you can't, I don't really know. Not sure it matters in the end." His time in this body felt more real than when he was in his human body. God listen to him. Human body? That was his real body. This was an avatar, it wasn't supposed to be real. He hadn't asked Grace if she felt the same way about her avatar; it felt too personal. 

Tsu'tey though, he was real. He used to hate Jake, but that had turned into amusement. Sort of a begrudging fondness for the weird kid down the street, but not love. Jake wasn't in the habit of chasing down lost causes, but he couldn't get the future clan leader out of his head. There was no doubt that Neytiri knew what she was doing when she taught him how to ride and hunt, but Tsu'tey moved with a grace that came from warrior's practice. 

Neytiri was his only real friend in the clan. There were a few people he got along with, but until a few hours ago, he hadn't been one of them; there hadn't been a reason to get to know everyone and build friendships. Neytiri was his only friend, and here he was lusting after her future mate. Not that he thought she was all that interested in Tsu'tey, but he'd still be betraying her trust if he tried. 

The whispers around him turned into a single, soft word, " ** _No_**." 

Jake glanced behind him automatically, worried that he'd been talking aloud and someone had overheard him. No one was there, and his eyes flicked upwards, catching the increased number of Atokirina’. "I'm gonna take that to mean she wouldn't mind." 

No response. 

"Can you at least tell me if Tsu'tey's going to try and kill me for this?" 

No response, but he hadn't expected one. 

He looked back to the tendrils he was linked to and touched them with his forehead. " ** _Thank you Allmother_**." He broke the connection and got to his feet, then started making his way out of the Tree of Voices. 

Neytiri was waiting for him at the outside edge, her fingers idly running along the length of her bow. "Back to Hometree?" 

"Yeah. There's a party going on, isn't there?" he said, tossing her a careless grin. 

She laughed, shaking her head at him like she'd started doing ever since he became more entertaining and less nuisance. 

It was a simple run back to Hometree, and the exercise made him feel more invigorated. When the clan greeted him with shouts of welcome and happiness, he grinned, bowing his head to Eytukan in respect before joining them. 

He looked around for Tsu'tey, but he couldn't find his braided hair on any of the heads around him. He _did_ learn that Beyral was at least vaguely interested in him while he looked, which was a little strange. She was too pretty for him, he knew that much. 

Some not-so-subtle deflection later, he managed to get to the edges of the firelight, and that was where he finally found Tsu'tey. He had a pod in his hand filled with the Na'vi's version of liquor, eyes flitting over the festivities like he didn't want to be a part of it. Hiding in the shadows was a pretty big sign to everyone to leave him alone, but since when did Jake give a shit about any of that? He walked over and joined him on the ground. 

Tsu'tey glanced at him, and his expression hardened. 

Off to a great start there, Jake. "Having fun?" 

Tsu'tey gave a noncommittal grunt. "You should be out there," he said, pointing towards the center of the crowd. 

"And leave you all by yourself? Nah, you need someone to bother you out of your shell." 

"I do not have a shell," Tsu'tey said, looking at him like maybe he'd gone crazy and was hallucinating. 

"It's a human expression." 

"It has no place here." 

"Yeah, sorry." It's not like Jake was doing it on purpose, he was just talking, and sometimes words came out that didn't translate over. "It is a part of me though. Even if I'm Omaticaya now, I used to be human." Still am, sometimes. 

"I know." 

Jake looked at him in surprise. Tsu'tey saw him looking, scowled, and drank from his pod. 

"There are many women interested in you now that you are one of us, why do you not bother them instead." 

The usual joking edge he’d gained was gone, replaced with a bitterness that Jake didn't understand. Jake wasn't his favorite person yeah, but they got along. Or at least they used to. "I think Beyral would like being bothered by me a little too much." 

"Beyral?" he asked, eyes narrowing. 

"Yeah." He paused, taking in the tense set of Tsu'tey's shoulders. "I don't want her." 

He relaxed. 

Huh, that was... interesting. Promising, actually. "I don't know why you and Neytiri are so focused on getting me to mate with a woman." 

"Would you rather mate with a man?" Tsu'tey said, but it was clear it was a throw away comment, not something he expected to land. 

"Does it matter? I haven't seen any mated pairs like that." 

Tsu'tey glanced at him, then away hurriedly. 

"Is it not allowed here?" On Earth it was sort of allowed, but mostly it depended on where you lived and what your job was. Jake had dated a couple guys back before he joined the Marines, but he knew not to invite extra danger to himself when he took up that career path. 

"Most choose not to," Tsu'tey said, which meant that it _was_ legal-- or whatever their version of legal entailed. 

"Why?" 

"Family. You cannot have children if you mate to another man." 

Even if-- by some miracle-- Jake were allowed to live here the rest of his life, he wouldn't want to start a family. He was shit with kids; he didn't know how to talk to them, didn't know how to treat them, and he didn't know how to not be an asshole. With adults, that didn't matter as much, but kids got hurt by that sort of thing. "I guess that makes sense." He should probably go back to the main event and remember as much as he could to tell Grace. It would make her day to hear about this, but all he wanted was to spend more time with Tsu'tey. "Why haven't you and Neytiri mated yet?" Neytiri had told him that they had known they'd end up mated since they were children, but he hadn't had a chance to follow up since then she was critiquing how much noise he made when he was trying to walk quietly. 

"It will not happen until we take over as clan leaders." 

"So- what, you don't date?" 

"What is 'date'?" 

"Uhh." Jake had never had to explain dating to anyone before. They'd all grown up human and therefore known before he could confuse them. There was no such safety net on Pandora. "Like, before you mate, you spend time with someone to see if you _want_ to mate." 

"Why would you not already spend time with them?" Tsu'tey asked, sounding confused. 

Damn it, he hadn't thought this through; nobody would be surprised. "I've met a lot more humans than Na'vi. We don't grow up in our clans like this," he said, gesturing at the festivities, "where we all know each other. I've met hundreds of different people, and the only one I knew like any of the Omaticaya was my brother." 

"You have a brother?" 

"Had." He didn't want to talk about Tommy. Didn't want to fucking think about it because this was the happiest Jake had been in his life, and it was supposed to be his brother's role, not his own. "What about you? Any siblings?" 

"No." There was a short clip in his tone that probably meant he was in the same boat as Jake there. 

Jake cleared his throat, wondering if he should go back towards the fire now. But he felt so comfortable, and part of this was for him, right? The other warriors that had bonded with their ikran were a part of this as well, but Jake was willing to bet that usually it was a smaller affair; they had too many warriors to do this every time they were born again unto Eywa. 

Conversation wasn't working too well, but he should've known that from the beginning. If his relations with all the people-- both human and Na'vi-- on Pandora were any indication, he should always keep his mouth shut. So he set his hands behind him and leaned into them, watching his fellow clan members dance and sing and laugh. He'd learned the melody line for the most common songs, but he didn't know all the words with his grasp of the language being so tenuous. He hummed along when he knew it, but otherwise just listened. He’d never truly enjoyed music before, but this was a part of him, whether he knew all the words or not. 

" ** _You are one of us_** ," Tsu'tey said softly, with the same sort of awe that Neytiri had used when she said it to him. 

Jake looked over at him and grinned. "Yeah. **_You thought I'd never make it_**." His accent was terrible, he knew, and it took him a while to form the sentence in his mind and translate before getting it out. With more practice, he knew he'd get better. Though, Norm had been studying for three years and he still thought that he had a lot to learn. The good news was that he could hear it a lot better than he could speak it. 

" ** _That's because you did not See_**." Tsu'tey shot him a smirk and touched the center of Jake's chest with his fingers, giving a little shove. " ** _The mud on your body Saw more._** " 

Jake laughed, remembering the utter confusion he'd felt the first dozen times someone had said 'I See you' to him. " _ **I**_ ** _t is..._** " he had to trail off as he tried to remember the right word, " ** _difficult to teach one of the Sky-people to See_**." 

" ** _You are one of us,_** " Tsu'tey said again. There was something in his eyes, and all Jake knew was that it was precious. "Most choose their mate on this night." 

"Yeah. I am Omaticaya now, and you and Neytiri keep trying to get me to choose a mate, it’s like you’re obsessed." 

"Do you not want one?" 

"Does it matter? They have to choose me too." 

"You think they will not," Tsu'tey guessed, head tilting as he studied Jake's expression. 

Jake stared back at him evenly. Playing it safe never did a damn thing for him, and it wouldn't start now. "I know he won't." 

One of Tsu'tey's ears twitched, but his expression did not change. Jake didn't have to wonder if Tsu'tey understood though, because he knew his own expression said it all. He wondered if the Na'vi would appreciate the human story of eyes being the window to your soul, because it had never felt more true to Jake than it did now-- not that he knew what was in Tsu'tey's eyes. "Come," he said, swiftly getting to his feet. 

Oh great, he was going to get his ass kicked in _private_ instead of out here in front of everyone. Although, now that he thought about it that way, it didn't sound so bad. Not good, but not quite as shitty either. 

Except Tsu'tey kept walking, leading him further from Hometree until they were in a section of the forest they normally did not traverse into when it was dark. Tsu'tey looked up at the higher branches and made a call. It was similar to the one Neytiri had used to bring her ikran to her, and sure enough, a moment later, his blue toned ikran swept down in front of them. Tsu'tey ran his hand along the top of its head and down to his antenna, linking with him and hopping up. He held a hand out to Jake, and Jake raised an eyebrow. 

"You want me to ride with you?" Maybe this was a clan-member thing, because Jake had never seen two people riding the same ikran. 

In response, Tsu'tey just grinned. God, why did everything with him have to be a challenge? Fuck it, Jake had survived Neytiri's trial by fire training, he could ride Tsu'tey's ikran with him. He walked forward and grabbed Tsu'tey's hand, half jumping and half being pulled up. He barely had time to settle before the ikran spread its wings and flapped, sending them shooting them up. " _Shit_ ," Jake said, clutching at Tsu'tey so he didn't fall off. 

Tsu'tey laughed but didn't slow down. This reminded Jake of that time he'd ridden a horse when he was twelve. He wasn't in control and things were mostly fine, but he didn't have any idea what was going to happen next. It was nothing like he'd done in his avatar body, since even when he was learning and falling off all the time, he'd felt some measure of control. He knew that if he got it right, he'd be fine, but this was trusting Tsu'tey to not do anything that would kill him. Surprisingly, that was easy to accept. 

They crested above the treeline before banking right and settling on a cliffside. Tsu'tey motioned for him to get off, and he held out a hand to help Tsu'tey down before he could think of how stupid that was. Tsu'tey gave a smirk like he was thinking the same thing, but he took Jake's hand when he disconnected and jumped off. He made another noise and his ikran flew off, going down a ways and then settling. 

"Why'd you bring me here?" 

Tsu'tey looked over the top of the forest. "Do you not see it?" 

Jake looked, and he did. He'd never been this far from Hometree at night, not since that first fumbling attempt he'd had in his avatar body when Neytiri had been forced to save him. The connections. That network of energy that Neytiri talked about, it was obvious from up here. All the glowing lights were subtle and beautiful when close, but like this, where you had the bird's eye view, it was like it was intentional. Jake didn't know how much he believed in Eywa and all that, but looking at the forest like this, it was easy to believe in her divinity. The light traveled in continuous lines, from tree to tree, a large gathering where Jake knew a lake was. All of it brimming with life. It was breathtaking, and he felt like he was finally seeing the forest the way the Na'vi did. "It's beautiful," he breathed. "You come up here often?" He looked at Tsu'tey, but instead of the other man looking at the forest as well, he was staring at Jake. 

He didn't answer Jake's question, but he put his hand on the side of Jake's face and whispered, " ** _I See you_**." 

Jake swallowed, wanting to get this perfect. " ** _I See you_**." 

Another moment of looking at each other. A breath of silence where they could've backed out and pretended this never happened. A beat where Jake should've remembered that this was a bad idea-- the thought didn't so much as cross his mind, he was caught up in the way Tsu'tey's eyes looked at him like they saw everything and wanted him anyways. He could See Jake, and Tsu'tey wanted him as much as Jake did. 

"I choose you too, Jakesully," he said softly. They leaned towards each other at the same time, mouths slotting together as easily as though they'd been made for it. Tsu'tey pulled Jake into his lap, and for a long time he thought of nothing but how good it felt to be with him. 

"I am with you Jake. Always." 

_Always_.

 _Always..._

Jake woke up, eyes blinking at the top of the link. 

What the hell was he doing? _This_ was his reality: bum legs and a human body that wouldn't work in Tsu'tey's world even if he could walk. The avatar wasn't him. It's who Jake wanted to be-- how he _wished_ he could be-- but it wasn't him. Jake closed his eyes and swallowed thickly, wanting to scream. 

He pushed the top up and shifted over into his wheelchair. When he rolled into the main room, Grace looked at him, then got to her feet. "Video log, marine. I'll get you something to eat." Normally she wouldn't have offered, and normally he would've told her off for doing something for him that he was perfectly capable of. But these weren't normal times. He'd spent his day becoming Omaticaya, and he'd spent his night with a man that three months ago wanted to kill him on sight for being from a group of people that were trying to destroy their home so they could strip mine the planet. "You're back later than I thought you'd be," she called from near the microwave. "Party go all night?" 

"Just about." Or at least, it had still been going when he and Tsu'tey had snuck off, and when they went back to Hometree in hammocks next to each other, everyone else had barely been going to sleep as well and they'd been able to slip in like they'd never been missing. He wheeled himself over to the monitor and started the camera, wishing he was back in the village. That when he woke up he'd already be surrounded by his people instead of having to link in. "Camera log for Jake Sully number one hundred and twenty at oh-one-fifty-three on May seventh, twenty one fifty four. Today, I officially became a part of the Omaticaya. It was uh-" Jake laughed, scratching at his head "-pretty great. There was a party, feast, whatever you want to call it tonight, so this morning I got up and went hunting, as is tradition for those getting their second birth. I was on my ikran, which Neytiri still says I should name. Hunt was successful, but Tsu'tey made me skin the hexapede by myself, but I'm not sure if that's part of the ritual or if he just wanted to mock me for messing up so much." Either one was plausible, and it was likely that both were true. 

"As the tsahik, Mo'at painted white lines on my torso and down my arms. Eytukan was there, but he just watched. Neytiri and Tsu'tey both painted the final lines on my face. I don't know if that's their role as the future clan leaders or if it's because they taught me. Uh, now that I've had my second birth, I'm allowed to make my own bow from the wood of the Hometree and take a mate. Apparently most Omaticaya choose their mate the night of their second birth, but they've all known each other since their first birth, so I'm kinda at a disadvantage there. I don't even know if the avatar body can mate properly." Tsu'tey hadn't had any complaints, but it's not like Jake had questioned him afterwards. 

"It doesn't matter," Grace said from behind him, setting down the plate of food and a cup of water. "Na'vi mate for life, we don't have the guarantee that we'll be here that long." 

Jake blinked. "They mate for life?" 

"You didn't know that?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. 

He shrugged, gesturing vaguely as if to say 'why the hell would I know that?'. "I know they don't date, but I figured they had a different word for it. Some sort of- I don't know, pre-courting?" 

He thought that was reasonable, but Grace shook her head. "I think it has to do with their connection to each other. By the time they have their second birth, they know who they are and who they want. They don't have to take time searching because they already know." 

"Oh." Shit. That meant that Tsu'tey... _shit_. He was meant to be mated to Neytiri, but instead, he and Jake had- they'd- fuck. He hadn't made it a full day as Omaticaya before fucking it up. Well he wasn't going to tell the video log that. He turned back to the camera with a shrug. "There's Grace's expertise for you. They have some sort of alcohol for celebrations. I don't know what they call the liquid, but they drink it in old plant pods that used to hold some sort of nectar. 

“Neytiri was pretty proud of me for making it, but I don't know if that's because she doesn't have to spend time with me anymore or not. Uh, right, after the paint, I came out from the base of Hometree. Eytukan declared me a member of the Omaticaya and put his hands on me. Mo'at, Neytiri, and Tsu'tey did the same, then behind them they held on so we were all touching like a root system. Or what I think a root system is, I'm not a scientist, I'm just guessing here. I'll probably make my bow tomorrow if I can force Tsu'tey to show me how; I figured Neytiri's earned a break after the past couple months." 

Jake glanced at the plate and figured he'd hit all the important points of the day. "I'm looking forward to seeing how clan life changes now that I'm one of them instead of an outsider." He gave the camera a slight smile, then turned it off. The three month deadline the Colonel had given him was up, but they hadn't contacted him in a while, so maybe they were running behind schedule; he wasn't going to shed any fucking tears over it, but now he had to find a way to warn the Omaticaya. Not that he knew how to do that. Anything he could say would feel like a betrayal, and they probably wouldn't listen anyway. No bribe was going to get them to leave Hometree, and neither would any amount of threats. It wasn't until it fell before them that they would go, and that would destroy them. Jake may not know much about any of this, but he knew that. 

God, Tsu'tey. Even if the damn rollers never showed up, Jake didn't know what he was going to do about him. He didn't regret his actions earlier, and even now, knowing the lifelong commitment, he didn't. But he also didn't know what he was going to say to him in the morning. Thinking about it wasn't going to do him a damn bit of good though, because every time he thought about the Na'vi in his human body, it didn't click. Something about it felt off, like he could never understand it until he was back in the body that was over twice as big as the one he'd grown into. 

Jake was going to get some sleep, and in the morning, he'd know what to do. If not, well, that's why it was called winging it. He'd done a pretty good job of it so far. 

* * *

It was a bad idea, but he decided that he wasn't going to stop being with Tsu'tey. They were mated for life, right? No point in making both of them miserable in some stupid bid to distance himself when all he wanted was to get closer. He woke before sunrise and started setting up the link. Norm, who was always up this early, was dicking around in Jake's wheelchair while he reminded him of all the steps. 

Grace interrupted him and shut down the link before he could initialize it. When the fuck did she get up this early? "Did you really think you could sneak out without me noticing?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"Kinda did, yeah. Let me just-" he said, reaching for the controls to get them going again. 

"Nope," Grace said, covering the console with her hands. "You have to eat something first." 

"Aw c'mon, I ate last night-" 

"And your human body needs more nourishment than one meal a day." Clearly she didn't trust him not to go in if she left, because she said, "Norm, go find something with high protein for our idiot here." 

Jake rolled his eyes and tried to protest, but Norm was back a minute later, forcing the plate in his hands. By that point, it was easier to eat it than argue, so he started shoveling food into his mouth, nearly choking since he hadn't bothered to chew very much. After that was a cup that he _thought_ was water but turned out to be some sort of flavored nutrition junk. He made a face but didn't complain because now Grace was setting up the link for him, and it was ready to go by the time he got into position. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he was home. 

He grinned at the familiar sight of Hometree covering the sky, light just barely lighting the sky. He still hadn't quite mastered how to get out of the hammock, more often than not, he stumbled around until he fell on a solid branch. Today wasn't any different, and unfortunately, Tsu'tey was awake to see it. Not that he realized that until he heard him laughing though. 

Jake flipped him off because A. he'd never been able to do that to Neytiri and B. he was still trying to right himself. Tsu'tey got up-- stepped near the end close to the branch and put a hand on it for balance then jumped up-- still grinning. "What does that mean?" he asked, gesturing to Jake's hand. 

Oh, right. They didn't exactly have the right number of fingers to pull it off, and even if they did, they probably wouldn't use the same gesture. "It means fuck you," Jake said quietly, not wanting to wake anyone else. 

Tsu'tey laughed at him some more. 

"Yeah, yeah, yuck it up. Think you can teach me how to make a bow while you do that?" 

He shook his head and started making his way out, but Jake didn't know if that was a nor or not. A little while later he figured it out because Tsu'tey led him away from Hometree-- back towards where they'd found his ikran last night. They grabbed their bows and daggers, and Jake rolled his eyes good-naturedly at having his request denied but didn't complain. Apparently ikran knew when you were mated, because his own flew down after Tsu'tey's. Tsu'tey looked completely unsurprised by this, so Jake was gonna pretend he knew that was going to happen. 

He may not know how to get out of the hammock properly, but he knew how to mount his ikran like he'd been doing it for years. Jake connected to him and slid onto his back, shooting Tsu'tey a self-satisfied smile. He wasn't great at everything, but he could fly like he'd been born to it. 

Maybe Jake was just feeling it, but maybe he also wanted to show off a little, show his new mate that he wasn't useless at _everything_. They went straight up, cresting over the trees with a fanciful spin that Jake was really glad he pulled off since two out of five times he practiced, he ended up falling off and his ikran had to dive to catch him before he made a blue splat on the ground. 

Tsu'tey looked suitably impressed when he joined him, but also like he knew how stupid that had been. They flew far enough away that Hometree was barely a speck on the horizon, then down next to a river. When they disconnected from their ikran, they crawled over to drink water. Tsu'tey was far less likely to narrate than Neytiri, which meant that he was still lost about what they were doing out here. Around them, the forest began to wake, the luminescence fading to make way for sunlight. 

"You bring me out here to kill me or what?" 

"If I were to kill you, I would not have waited." 

Jake laughed, because he remembered the first time they'd met, and he was still pretty impressed that Tsu'tey hadn't gone ahead and done it. "Then what are we doing? It's sure as hell not making a bow like I wanted." 

"Before you make, you must learn." Tsu'tey sat on the ground, motioning in front of him for Jake to join. 

"I already know how to shoot," Jake argued, but he sat. 

"Shooting a bow is not the same as _knowing_ the bow," Tsu'tey insisted. It was unfair how good he looked, because at least with Neytiri, Jake had been able to focus on her lessons without getting distracted by how she looked-- well, after a while, that is. At first he still wasn't used to the way the Na'vi looked, and he'd found himself staring at the glowing spots on her face instead of her words. With Tsu'tey though, he didn't think this was going to go too well, because all he could think about was undoing the braids and ornamentation in Tsu'tey's hair to run his fingers through it. 

Shit he'd still been talking. 

"Understand?" Tsu'tey said. 

"Uh, yes, yeah." 

Tsu'tey blinked, then glared at him. "You have not been listening." 

"What can I say? You're awfully distracting." 

"Just because we are mates does not mean you are done learning." 

"I know." 

"Then listen." 

"I didn't _mean_ to ignore you," Jake said, unable to stop smiling. Tsu'tey had chosen him, and while he might be annoyed right now, he wasn't regretting it yet-- hopefully not ever. 

" ** _Idiot_**." 

" ** _Yes, but you chose me_**." 

Tsu'tey just glared at him, so Jake laughed and held up his hands in surrender. 

"Sorry, I'll listen this time, I swear." 

Tsu'tey glared a minute longer, then nodded. "You must know your weapon the same way you know an animal once shahaylu is made." 

"Okay," Jake said slowly. He'd thought he was getting the hang of the bow, but he wouldn't describe it as being at all similar to that. 

Tsu'tey looked at him for a second, then made a noise of aggravation. Everyone he was used to teaching already knew the basics. He might have to put words to it every once in a while, but for the most part they understood; Jake didn't. He unslung his bow and put it across his lap, grabbing one of Jake's hands and putting it on the weapon. "It is... part of me. Close your eyes. Feel the remains of energy." 

It's not that Jake thought he'd be lying, but he didn't think it would work. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on the material under his hand. All he could feel from it was polished, well worn wood. "I don't feel anything," Jake said. 

With his eyes still closed, he was surprised when Tsu'tey grabbed his hand and laid it on his chest. "Do you feel me?" 

Energy was impossible to describe. He always thought of it like the glowing trails through the forest, but technically those were different. When he envisioned it though, that's how it was: a glowing light. Tsu'tey had a bright core, radiating from his chest and spreading outwards. Jake nodded. 

Tsu'tey grabbed his other hand and laid it on the bow. "Now, feel that they are the same. This," he said, patting Jake's hand that was on the bow, "is me. My energy." 

Jake still didn't feel it. His brow furrowed as he searched for it, but there was nothing there. Disappointed in himself, he shook his head, opening his eyes. "I don't feel it. I know you," he said, pressing his fingertips into Tsu'tey's skin, "but I don't know this." 

Tsu'tey looked confused by that, like he didn't know how Jake could know his energy but not that of his bow when the feeling should be the same. "Take off your bow." 

Jake leaned back and pulled it over his head. 

Tsu'tey had him put one hand on each bow. "Different?" 

Jake closed his eyes again. It wasn't much, but there was a difference that he could feel. Now that he had something to compare it to, he could feel the energy in Tsu'tey's bow. The one that he'd been using was devoid of not just that energy, but any energy. It was numb, almost, the way the bow felt. "I see it," Jake said, and it was probably his imagination that he could feel Tsu'tey's pride. "Not much," he added, "but I see it." 

"Good. Tonight, you can start on your bow, one that will be truly yours." 

"Sounds good," Jake said, opening his eyes and grinning. He leaned back, feeling at ease. He wasn't sure he'd ever smiled this much as a human. God he wanted this to last forever, but it wouldn't get that way unless he made it that way. He glanced towards the dense lining of trees, then back at Tsu'tey. Last night he'd been confused, but fuck only knew why. "We have to do something." 

"Do what?" Tsu'tey asked, looking utterly confused. 

"About the Sky People." 

That didn't clear anything up. 

"There's this... mineral. In the ground that they want. It's what they're here for." 

"Why would they take it?" 

"It's worth a lot. Things back on Earth are pretty damn bleak, they're hoping to kickstart it with your mineral." Or at least that's how Jake understood it. It was business or science-- or some mix of the two-- and he didn't know either of those real well. 

"That's why they destroy," Tsu'tey gathered, starting to get angry. It was familiar, that expression he'd used to have around Jake because he was one of the Sky People, not Omaticaya. 

"Yes." 

"Why do you tell me this?" 

"There's a big batch of it under Hometree. I don't know when, but I know they're planning on destroying it to mine." 

That got a reaction. Tsu'tey jerked like he'd been slapped. "That- but- it is our _home_." 

"We'll stop them," Jake found himself promising. He didn't know _how_ , but they'd figure it out. He put his hands on Tsu'tey's shoulders, looking into his eyes until it felt like Tsu'tey was seeing anything other than destruction. "We'll stop them." 

Tsu'tey looked lost, but Jake kept assuring him until he swallowed and gave a sharp nod. "How?" 

"Still working on that part," Jake said with a crooked smile. "Any ideas?" 

There wasn't time to talk about it further, because animals were running towards them. No, not towards them. _Away_ from something else. 

"Is that normal?" he asked with a frown, getting to his feet and gripping his bow tightly in his hand. Next to him, Tsu'tey did the same. 

"No," Tsu'tey said, looking equally worried. A titanothere burst into the clearing across the way. Far enough away that it didn't hit them, but way too close for comfort. 

"Shit," Jake said, taking a step back. Before he could worry too much, their ikran landed next to them and they jumped on, taking off before an entire titanothere family stamped through. "What the hell-?" He rose higher, and the confusion turned to horror. Rollers. Guarded by AMP suits and regular soldiers. "Shit," he said again. They weren't anywhere close to Hometree yet, but they were terribly close to the Tree of Voices. The closest link to Eywa that the Omaticaya had, since the Tree of Souls was so much further away. 

Rollers were unmanned, driven remotely from base camp since the guys that knew how to operate them weren't military, they were part of the corporate team. If he could get rid of the camera at the front, that should delay them long enough to form some kind of plan. Two rollers, he noted, getting out an arrow and loosely notching it into place. He wasn't sure his aim was quite good enough to pull it off without getting hit, but maybe taking out just one would be enough-- that was expensive tech, and out here it wasn't that easy to replace. 

But then, he wasn't alone. He looked over at Tsu'tey, who looked shaken. "Tsu'tey!" When he glanced at him, he motioned with his bow. 

"We can't stop all of them!" 

"We don't have to." 

Tsu'tey frowned, but he also put an arrow into position. 

"I'll take the one closer to us, watch what I do and follow it on the other." 

Tsu'tey nodded, and they took off, flying towards the invaders and getting in range before they even knew they were there. Jake pulled back the bowstring and released, the motion so familiar that it was only for the briefest of moments he worried it wouldn't hit. The camera shattered and he tilted up away from the gunfire that followed several seconds later. He wanted to snort; some bodyguards they made. He didn't have to worry about Tsu'tey getting caught up in it because his range was better. Right after Jake's arrow hit, Tsu'tey released an arrow at the other roller's camera, blinding it as well. 

They flew towards Hometree without needing to discuss it, and Jake glanced backwards to make sure it had worked. The entire company had stopped, the guards looking for a fight and the rollers because they couldn't safely move anywhere. Tsu'tey let out a victory cry, raising his bow in the air with one hand, and Jake grinned. It was a small victory in the grand scheme of this fight, but they'd stopped and that was enough for now. 

Ikran never went into main reach of Hometree, so they landed and ran the rest of the way inside. Jake wished they had a plan to give hope to the Omaticaya, but at least they had time to figure it out. 

"Tsu'tey!" Neytiri called when they got closer. It felt like the entire clan had gathered, feeling the same disruption that they'd responded to. " ** _Did you see what_** -" she broke off, her eyes widening as she looked between the two of them. 

And that was the moment that Jake remember she was supposed to mate with Tsu'tey so they could lead the clan together. No one knew about what they'd done yet, but judging by Neytiri's expression, everyone was about to find out. 

"Tsu'tey!" Eytukan bellowed, his face a mask of rage. He spared a glance for Jake as he stalked up to Tsu'tey, looking like he wanted to peel the skin off his bones even though yesterday he'd declared Jake a member of the Omaticaya forever. " ** _You mated with him?_ **" 

"Oh shit," Jake heard Grace say. In the back of his mind-- the part that wasn't worried about whether or not Tsu'tey was about to get ejected from the clan because of him-- he wondered how much shit she was going to give him for doing this. 

Tsu'tey swallowed but held his gaze evenly. He nodded. 

His expression twisted even further. " ** _You were promised to my daughter! What of Neytiri's destiny? You have cast her aside as though she means nothing to you!_ **" 

Neytiri shook off her shock and ran up to her father, putting a hand on his arm and holding him from doing something physical to Tsu'tey-- which it looked like it might devolve into if she did not say the right words. " ** _Father, please, listen to me. Tsu'tey and I do not need to mate to lead the clan, he has proven himself capable, do not pass judgement when we have greater worries._** " It looked like Eytukan was starting to be swayed, and she pulled on his arm again, urging him to take a step away from the couple. " ** _We can think on it later._** " 

He grit his teeth together, then gave a sharp nod. He pushed his personal feelings down, and Jake really hoped they didn't explode when it came back up. " ** _Did you see what happened?_ **" 

" ** _The Sky People were razing the ground. We-_** " he glanced at Jake "- ** _halted their progress_**." 

" ** _With the two of you?_ ** " Mo'at said. " ** _How_ **?" 

"Their machines," Jake said. He would've spoken in Na'vi if he knew the word for machine, but he didn't, so here he was. "They needed part of it to keep going, we managed to destroy it before they could reach utraya mokri, but that won't stop them forever. Maybe we should talk about it in private." Grace would definitely keep this to herself-- or at least in the science division-- but he wasn't sure how good of a liar she was. Also he didn't want to cause a panic by telling everyone that the Sky People wanted to destroy their home and were dangerously close to accomplishing it. 

Eytukan looked at him, and for a moment it looked like he would deny the request. Mo'at gave her mate a significant look, and he capitulated, motioning for Tsu'tey and Jake to join his family. 

Explaining was neither easy nor pleasant, but Jake thought he managed to hit the important points. Grace was probably panicking out there, but he didn't know what to do about that. It's not like he could stick his head out and shout that everything was okay every once in a while to reassure her. 

Eventually, they agreed to wait a little and then talk again so everyone could think it over and come up with plans so they could compare, and Jake wanted to scream that it might not be enough. If anyone knew what he'd done, they'd go in guns blazing, and the Omaticaya might not have a chance to even run for cover. Mo'at and Neytiri left-- either to talk or consult Eywa or whatever it was they did-- and Jake reached the doorway before realizing that Tsu'tey wasn't doing the same. 

" ** _You are a great warrior_** ," Eytukan snarled, " ** _and we need you right now. Do not think all is forgiven_**." 

" ** _I forfeited my place as clan leader when I mated with Jake. I know this._** " 

Eytukan looked at him for a moment. " ** _Neytiri will lead on her own. With whichever mate she so chooses if they are worthy._** " 

" ** _As is her right,_** " Tsu'tey said, bowing his head and then leaving. 

Jake joined him. It was obvious Tsu'tey was feeling down, and this wasn't something Jake could joke about until it got better. Tsu'tey had thrown the future of his role in the clan away in one night, and Jake hadn't known the enormity of it at the time. 

"Tsu'tey, why didn't you say-" 

"Jakesully!" 

Ah shit. A group of three young warriors approached, looking outraged. Everyone was angry at him today except Tsu'tey, which was a welcome if annoying change. He knew how to deal with Tsu'tey when he was mad at him, he didn't know how to deal with all these other people that looked like they were out for blood. Not Tsu'tey's blood, so he was thankful for small favors, but _his_ blood. "Hey guys," he said casually, "what's up?" 

"You should not be here!" the one in front yelled as he stalked forward, shoving at his chest. 

Jake let it stumble him back a step, not wanting to get into a fight. "I belong here as much as you do." 

"You do _not_!" he yelled, shoving again. "Tsu'tey is a great leader, and you have brought shame on him. He will never lead the Omaticaya as he was always meant to!" 

"Tsu'tey can make his own decisions." 

" ** _Dreamwalkers are poison_** ," someone further back spat. 

"Uh, Jake?" Grace said, and she was too close when people were this angry. 

"Not a good time Grace." 

"I think we should talk," she insisted. 

"She should not be here either! She was ejected from the village, but because of _you_ she was brought back." 

Tsu'tey gave a warning growl, and he shut his mouth with a click. 

"I think-" Grace said, only for her words to fade off as she dropped to the ground. 

"Grace?" Jake's eyes widened. Shit, they were cutting her link, which meant he would be following her a moment later. "No," he said, as if they'd be able to hear him back at his link, "don't-" 

Everything faded. 

" ** _Now you see him for the demon he is,_** " one of them spat, drawing a dagger and picking up Jake's avatar's head by the braid and exposing his neck. 

Tsu'tey shouted and tackled them before going back to Jake's body in a protective crouch with his own dagger drawn and hissing a warning at the others; he would protect his mate with his life. He didn't relax until they left, and even then he was tense. He'd made his decision and he stood by it, but it would've been easier to take if Jake was still with him. 

"What the hell are you doing!" Jake gasped as soon as he was able. 

Quaritch was staring down at him, and he none too gently fisted a hand in the front of Jake's shirt and pulled him to a sitting position. "What happened?" 

"How should I know? You took me out!" 

"You're saying you don't know what happened?" 

"Happened _where_?" Jake was a damn good liar, but there was always the chance that Quaritch knew it was him. It all depended on how good their cameras were and if they'd been pointing at him when it had happened. If all they got was a glimpse, he was fine since it's not like any of the non-science people could tell the difference between the Na'vi. 

Quaritch narrowed his eyes, giving Jake's wheelchair a kick. "Get in. We're going back to base." 

* * *

Jake managed to bullshit ignorance, and while Quaritch was pretty obviously suspicious, he couldn't throw them in the brig without any evidence. Jake said that the Omaticaya were holding a meeting to discuss what had happened, but he'd pulled them out before they could hear what the plan was. With Jake talking, changing his anger to be towards something Quaritch could respect, Grace was able to just nod in the background and chime in about how dangerous it had been to pull them out of the link so suddenly. 

It wasn't until they were alone, safely sequestered in Grace's lab, that she confronted him. "What the _fuck_ were you thinking? Setting aside, for the moment, that you _mated_ with the future _clan leader_ , what were you thinking! If they found out what you did, they'd kill you! You put all Omaticaya at risk with that stunt. Selfridge is probably up there right now letting that ape Quaritch convince him to destroy Hometree!" 

"They were going to destroy Hometree anyways, Grace," Jake said, voice cold with rage. Not at her, but in general. He needed to get back to the clan and _help_ , but he couldn't link back in any time he wanted. Now that they were back at base, Selfridge wasn't going to let them back into the village when he was so worried about what they were doing out there, and he knew that the chances of getting back out to their mobile link were slim to none. "They wanted to kill all the Na'vi long before I showed up, and nothing I said was going to change that. Nothing we _do_ is going to change that unless we do it from the other side." 

Grace's eyes widened. "Jake," she hissed, "that's suicide. It takes millions to upkeep the links, and we wouldn't last a week on Pandora without them." 

"That's how it is, Grace? Really?" The book she'd written about Pandora and the Na'vi was sitting on the table next to him, and he grabbed it. He flipped it open to the table of contents. "Twenty chapters on the People. Twenty. You didn't write this because you don't give a shit. You care about them Grace. You can't learn all their ways and study it the way you have without _caring_. I've seen you in the village, I've seen you talking to your students; you care about them more than you care about any of the assholes in this compound. Who cares if we die!" he yelled, throwing it back on the table. "We're not protecting the Tree of Voices or even Hometree, we're talking about all of the Omaticaya-- _all_ of the Na'vi! It's not a single forest, it's the entire planet, and if we fail, they all die. Are you willing to live with that?" 

She didn't have to say a word for her answer to be clear: no. 

"Good. So what are we going to do to help." 

"We need to get out. We can't do anything if we're in the same building as them." 

"They're not gonna let us go back to the mobile link." 

"They will if they think they know where we are. All I have to do is remind Selfridge how annoying he finds me." 

Jake grinned. "That's a damn good start." For the rest, he had a plan forming in the back of his mind, but he didn't give voice to it. No point in giving her hope if he couldn't deliver. The Omaticaya were a wonderful people, but there weren't enough of them to fight and win. Quaritch had dozens of AMP suits, ships, and more guns and explosives than they needed to blow up the entire planet. Their clan alone didn't stand a chance, but with all the Na'vi working together... it was going to be a lot more balanced. They actually stood a fighting chance if they were united. 

* * *

Trudy was the pilot for them because of course she was. She managed to leave Wainfleet behind before anyone noticed, and as Jake, Grace, and Norm got into her ship, they all knew when they left that they weren't going to be coming back. With all their knowledge of the area pooled, it was easy to pick up the mobile link and bring it to a different area, hidden from aerial scans thanks to the trees and its proximity to the flux vortex. 

It had taken the rest of the day, and there was no reason for Jake to go in right when the Omaticaya were going to sleep. That didn't stop the itch under his skin, and by the time he woke up, it's like he didn't get any rest at all. 

"I'm going in," Jake said, wheeling towards the link quickly. It was a path he was so familiar with, he could've gotten there with his eyes closed. 

"You sure that's a good idea?" Trudy asked. 

"Nope." He was about to try and become Taruk Macto, that wasn't what people with good ideas did. He started setting it up, but Grace grabbed his wrist. "What?" 

"You mated with Tsu'tey. He was supposed to be the next clan leader, and now that future is gone for him." 

"You did what?" Norm exclaimed but was ignored. 

"I trust he knew what he was doing, though only Eywa knows why,” Grace continued. 

“Are you going somewhere with this?" Jake asked, raising an eyebrow. He was the one Tsu'tey had done it with, and he still didn't have the faintest idea. 

Her expression was serious, which stopped Jake from getting too mad at her for taking so long to respond. "You were surprised when I told you Na'vi mate for life. I need to know that you're not regretting your decision. The last thing we need is to deal with that on top of everything else." 

"I don't see how that's any of your business," he said evenly. He wasn't about to admit that he loved him; he wasn't a stupid poet. 

"It's my business if you're going to do something that's going to get us killed by morning." 

"I won't." 

Grace looked at him for another moment, then continued the link setup. "Lay down. I'll be right behind you, kid." 

Jake snorted. "Is that your new name for me?" 

"Marine didn't quite seem to fit anymore." 

"Tell me about it," he muttered. He knew he had changed, but it didn't even feel like it. It felt like everyone else had changed and he was left staring around himself wondering where the hell they'd all gone. "But you know, you could always try Jake." 

"Not happening," she said with a smirk, lowering the lid for him. 

Jake rolled his eyes, evening out his breathing then closing his eyes. 

Tsu'tey must have put him in a hammock after he passed out, and it surprised him more than it should have that he wasn't alone. Mated pairs slept together, Jake knew that. But it was still disconcerting for him to wake up with Tsu'tey's arm around him. He shifted, wondering what the chances were of him getting up without waking Tsu'tey. 

As soon as he wiggled though, Tsu'tey's arm tightened like a vise around him. 

"You gonna let me get up?" 

Tsu'tey's arm relaxed. "Jake," he breathed, sounding relieved. 

Too relieved, actually. Jake frowned. "Did something happen after I left?" 

Tsu'tey kissed his shoulder and didn't answer. 

Shifting again, Jake rolled over to face him. 

"Are you hurt?" 

"What? No." 

"Good." Tsu'tey kissed him, tail swinging to lay on top of their legs leisurely. "I have not seen you fall like that before. Did the Sky People discover what you did?" 

"No. Did Neytiri give your a hard time about our mating?" 

Tsu'tey's ear twitched nervously, but as expected, his facial expression remained unchanged. "We have not spoken." 

Fuck. "I'm sorry." 

"No," Tsu'tey said, holding him tighter. "Not for this." 

"Not for this," Jake said quickly. "All that you've lost because of it. Everything you're dealing with." And that he couldn’t help. 

Tsu'tey's hand came between them, resting on Jake's chest. "I choose you. I know what this means. We are mated before Eywa, nothing can separate us." 

Jake leaned forward the inch or so separating them, resting their foreheads together. He didn't regret this, but it would've been nice to know what to expect. Even knowing that Tsu'tey was supposed to end up mated with Neytiri, Jake was coming to realize that it was worse than that. This was hitting Tsu'tey a lot harder than anything Jake was having to deal with. " ** _I am with you, always_**. But there's something I have to get done." 

"Now?" 

"Right now. Go to sleep, I'll be back soon." 

"You mean to go alone?" Tsu'tey said, frowning as Jake fumbled around, trying to get out. 

"I _need_ to go alone. Don't worry- oof!" The wind got knocked out of him as he hit the walking branch full on instead of rolling like he'd meant to. "I'll be fine." 

"You inspire confidence in me Jake," Tsu'tey said drily. 

Jake flipped him off. 

"Ah, the 'fuck you' sign," Tsu'tey said, his mouth curving unfamiliarly around the words since it's not like Grace taught swear words in her school. "Is this to be the start of all our mornings together?" 

"Yep," Jake said with a grin. 

"We are choosing a plan at midday. Will you be back in time?" 

"Wouldn't miss it." One way or the other, he'd be there. Either in victory or defeat, but he'd be there no matter the outcome of this half-baked plan. Jake gave him a last smile before running down, hoping that Tsu'tey wasn't going to follow his instincts and go after him. 

By the time Jake reached his ikran, he figured it was safe. He bonded with him, then ran a soothing hand down his neck as he shuddered. "You aren't gonna like this." His ikran blew out a breath from its chest, and Jake gave him another pat. "Nothing to be done about it. Don't worry, you'll be fine." Jake, on the other hand, might not be. But this was necessary. 

He hopped on, and they took to the sky, branching out and away. 

He must have been riding for close to an hour before he found Toruk, gliding gracefully beside a cliff face. The forest was hundreds of feet beneath him, and if Jake fell off, he wasn't sure his ikran would be able to catch him in time. "Easy does it," he whispered and they sluiced down, hovering above Toruk. Jake got into a crouch then disconnected, falling straight for Toruk with his braid in one hand and the other out to grab hold as soon as he made contact. 

He didn't have the time to wrestle Toruk into place like he'd done the first time with his ikran, so when he hit, he wrapped a firm arm around its neck and held on for dear life as it roared and spun, trying to throw him off. It thrashed, tossing him about like a ragdoll even though he grit his teeth and tightened his grip. 

A toss slammed his body against the leather hide, and he hooked his legs on, reaching out with his braid. The next time Toruk moved, its antenna slapped his hand and the bond was made, the connections reaching out and latching on, bringing Toruk under his control. It gave another howl, almost like a warning for what would come. Jake's heart was thumping loudly in his chest, blood rushing through his ears as he felt physically lighter in exhilaration. A wild laugh escaped, and he pumped his fist in the year and yelled out in victory. Even if being Toruk Macto didn't have the effect he was hoping for, this was a hell of an edge to have. 

All things considered, he stayed a lot further from death than he'd thought he would. Tsu'tey wasn't the type to worry about this sort of danger chasing-- probably-- but it couldn't hurt that Jake had done this cleanly. 

"I hope you're as good as the stories say," Jake told Toruk as they banked right, towards Hometree. Toruk made a sound like a snort, and Jake grinned, patting his neck. "That's what I like to hear. We got this." 

Toruk was faster than his old ikran. The chase from before with Neytiri had proven that riders on ikran were more maneuverable than Toruk by himself, but Jake wondered if that would change him with a rider. With half a thought, they turned, pulling a hard left, then a hard right to get back on track. Responsive as hell, and just as maneuverable as the smaller ikran. Toruk was much larger, and could be pushed faster than an ikran, Jake could feel it. 

The perimeter guard saw him when he landed, Toruk's wings beating ferociously as they slowed, wavering to the ground. Tsu'tey was with them right now, all of them staring at Jake from their direhorses with wide, disbelieving eyes. The horses shifted on the ground, hooves lifting and falling back down, chomping the dirt and grass but not going anywhere. 

"Toruk Macto," he heard them saying. 

He broke the connection and slid down, keeping a hand on Toruk and walking the length of his neck to the armored head. He soothed the bridge above his eye before stepping closer. 

With a fluid motion, Tsu'tey dismounted, eyes flicking between Jake and Toruk though he did not walk forward to meet him. Apparently knowing the beast was tamed did little to calm his nerves. "This is what you left to do?" 

"Toruk Macto," someone said again, but Jake only had eyes for his mate. 

"Yeah. What do you think?" 

Tsu'tey looked at Toruk again, who spread his wings and made a sound like a howl. "I am glad it is not me," he said, but when his gaze landed on Jake again, there was heat and approval there. 

Jake grinned, closing the rest of the space between them. He hadn't paid attention to all the details about how mated pairs acted in public, but he figured a small kiss couldn't hurt. 

Judging by the rush of blue in Tsu'tey's cheeks, he'd guessed wrong. Whoops. "Didn't mean to embarrass you," Jake whispered. 

"You do not," Tsu'tey said. Though he was still blushing, he met Jake's eyes defiantly. Everything was a challenge with him, and it made Jake proud to have proved himself time and again in Tsu'tey's eyes. 

Jake scanned the others' expressions, and thankfully the only thing there was awe. Not that he particularly wanted that either, but it was better than disgust or disapproval. With Toruk standing like a hulking bodyguard in the background though, it was likely they wouldn't look at him like that even if it was what they felt. 

"He chose you," Tsu'tey said quietly, his tone filled with wonder. 

"Yes," Jake said, but what he found more awe inspiring was the fact that _Tsu'tey_ had chosen him. "We will save our people. Together, Tsu'tey. If we get the other clans to agree, we can win." 

"We can," Tsu'tey said, and though determination was there, it was less desperate than when he'd said the same thing last night. 

**Author's Note:**

> Fic ends here instead of going through the rest of the movie plot because it was gonna be pretty similar except for the deaths? I imagine that everyone lives, and all our avatar people get their soul transferred so they can live with the clan without having to go through the link every time.


End file.
